About Us

Why We're Different

At Common Grounds we exist to make a positive impact within our community. Our mission is to give opportunity to poor Cambodians that desire to gain practical job skills and experience through providing them with on the job vocational training in the food and beverage industry.

Since 2008 we have provided training and jobs to over 120 young Cambodians. Many of our former servers, baristas, bakers, and chefs now work around the country in some of the most premier restaurants and hotels that Cambodia has to offer.

In addition to training Cambodians in the cafe, we also use 100% of our profit to help fund humanitarian and community development projects organized by People for Care and Learning in Cambodia. We are not about profit, but people!

Find out more about the projects we support here: www.pcl.is

our mission

Common Grounds mission is to provide on the job vocational training to Cambodians that desire to develop their skills and gain experience to work in the food and beverage industry. We also use 100% of our profit to fund humanitarian relief projects through People For Care And Learning in Cambodia.

How It All Started

On January 16^th 2008, Common Grounds Café was opened by Julie Martinez as part of our parent organization People For Care And Learning (PCL), with the vision of creating a missional business that gives poor and disadvantaged people in Siem Reap a working chance. Instead of giving handouts, we believe in giving opportunities through providing on the job vocational training in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

Over the past 15-plus years we have provided training and jobs to dozens of Cambodian young people, and we have ecstatically cheered them on watching many of them go on to successful careers, some of them working in some of the top hotels and restaurants Cambodia has to offer.